would lead to the government making life or death decisions for the elderly, at a townhall today in iowa, influential republican senator charles grassley may have added to the controversy. >> there is some fear there is counseling for end of life -- and from that standpoint you have every right to fear. shouldn't have counseling at the end of life. you ought to have counseling 20 years before you are going to die. >> reporter: actually, senator grassley is one of the few repuicans working with the administration on health care. as for town hall the president has two more this week, one in colorado, one in montana. brian. >> savannah guthrie at the white house to start us off tonight. thanks. >>> a lot of the emotion we are seeing at the townhalls concerns what the administration has been calling the public option. opponents like to call it a government takeover of health care. the basic question remains -- what does the obama administration really mean by this term "public option." tonight we launch an effort aimed at making sense of it all. our report from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> this